Current Affairs of 15 November 2015

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who arrived Antalya from London to attend the two-day G-20 Summit, after completing his three-day U.K. visit, is scheduled to be the lead speaker at its inaugural session on Climate Change and Development.

Speaking for developing countries, in his address to the G-20 Leaders, including U.S. President Barack Obama, Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Chinese President Xi Jinping, British Prime Minister David Cameron and Prime Minister of Australia Malcolm Turnbull, among others, Mr. Modi will oppose the proposed move for eliminating fossil fuels subsidies.

Mr. Modi is also expected to emphasise that the commitment from the developed countries to make available from 2020 $100 billion of climate finance every year to developing countries has to be ensured and a road map for this should be laid down over the next five years.

Even at the World Bank Annual Meeting earlier this year in Lima, Peru, India had said it did not support the categorisation of the official development assistance from multilateral agencies as part of the $100 billion as proposed by the developing countries.

2. PM Attended BRICS Summit in Antalya, Turkey

Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly condemned the dreadful acts of terrorism in Paris and expressed deepest sympathy and support to Russia for the loss of life in Sinai. He spoke of the need for a united global effort to combat terrorism has never been more urgent and called for making this a priority for BRICS – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - nations.
Ankara and Beirut are also reminders of terror's growing spread and impact, Mr. Modi said in his opening address at a BRICS nations leaders meeting hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin, here in Antalya, ahead of the G20 Leaders Summit.
The New Development Bank, the Currency Reserve Arrangement, Strategy for BRICS Economic Cooperation are clear evidence of the BRICS’ vision and resolve “Together, we can also give shape to G20.”
The meeting was also attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping, President of South Africa Jacob Zuma and President of Brazil Dilma Rousseff.
India’s imminent assumption of the chairmanship of BRICS from 1st February, 2016.
The theme of India's BRICS Chairmanship will be “Building Responsive, Inclusive and Collective Solutions” or 'BRICS'.
Mr. Modi also assured China of India’s support during its presidency of G20. China is set to take over the rotating presidency of the G20 starting in December 2015.
3. Swachh Bharat Cess: Eating Out, Telephony Gets Costlier
Eating out, telephony and travel will become expensive from Sunday with the government imposing a 0.5 per cent 'Swachh Bharat' cess on taxable services which is expected to yield about Rs. 3,800 crore to the exchequer in the remaining months of the fiscal year.
With the imposition of the cess, service tax rate will go up from 14 per cent to 14.5 per cent on all taxable services.
According to Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia, the government expects to collect around Rs. 10,000 crore from Swachh Barat cess for full year.
Therefore, in the remaining months of this fiscal till March 31, 2016, the cess would yield about Rs. 3,800 crore to the kitty.
The Swachh Bharat cess would be levied only on the portion of taxable services (after abatement) and will go towards funding of the cleanliness drive, a pet project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
This means that service tax on restaurant bills will go up from 5.6 per cent to 5.8 per cent following the levy of 0.5 per cent Swachh Bharat cess.
The Finance Ministry has also clarified that the Swachh Bharat cess will not apply on those services for which payments have been received prior to November 15 and invoices raised before November 29.
4. PM Narendra Modi inaugurates Ambedkar memorial in London
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the recently acquired Ambedkar memorial by Maharashtra Government at King Henry’s Road in London, United Kingdom. On this occasion, Prime Minister unveiled a plaque to mark the dedication of the Memorial and was accompanied by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Apart from it, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also unveiled a Basaveshwara Statue at Lambeth in London. Basaveshwara (1105-1167 AD) was a great philosopher and social reformer who had fought against social evils of his time, and worked for the strengthening of democracy at the grassroots. Basaveshwara’s life and ideas are narrated in the sacred text Basava purana of the south Indian Hindu Lingayat community. He was known for Bhakti movement in south India in 12th century AD.
5. Satish Shah, Bhawana Somaaya, Brijendra Pal Singh nominated as FTII members
Bhawana Somaaya, Satish Shah and Brijendra Pal Singh have been nominated as members of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) Society. They were nominated by Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting under the category of Film critic Bhawana Somaaya, Actor Satish Shah: Persons of eminence connected with films and television education, literature, fine arts, journalism, dramatics and performing Arts. TV producer Brijendra Pal Singh: Nominated under the category of FTII alumni.
6. Northeast India’s first elephant hospital established at Kaziranga National Park
Northeast India’s first exclusive hospital for elephants has been established at the Kaziranga National Park in Assam. The hospital was set up at Mark Shand Memorial Learning Centre in Kaziranga National Park. It was inaugurated by Sir Evelyn de Rothschild who is founding patron of the UK-based charity Elephant Family.
7. Naval Ship Vishwakarma commissioned
INS Vishwakarma, the erstwhile Shipwright School (SWS) and a premier training establishment of the Indian Navy has been commissioned. It was commissioned by Admiral RK Dhowan, Chief of the Naval Staff at a formal ceremony held at Visakhapatnam. INS Vishwakarma was commissioned in keeping with the Navy’s thrust towards indigenisation and ‘Make in India’ initiative. It also was commissioned keeping in view the role of the SWS which has assumed greater significance presently in honing Indian Navy’s warship and submarine design.
8. Pakistan, China kick off ambitious CPEC project
Pakistan and China kicked off their ambitious 46 billion US Dollar China- Pakistan economic corridor (CPEC) project. It was kicked off after China successfully acquired over 2,000 acres of land in restive Balochistan to develop the strategic Gwadar port. Earlier both countries had signed a deal in this regard to give the usage right of the land to a Chinese company. Under this ambitious project, China is expected to invest around 1.62 billion US dollars in the Gwadar project. It includes construction of an expressway linking the harbour and coastline with a rail link, breakwater. It also includes other 9 projects which is expected to be completed in three to five years.
9. Annual Hundred Drums Wangala Festival begins in Meghalaya
Annual Hundred Drums Wangala Festival has begun on a cultural fervor at Asanang near Tura town in Meghalaya. The three day-long started with the arrival of ten Wangala Dance Troupes from various parts of Garo Hills. Wangala Festival is an annual post-harvest festival of the Garos tribes of North east India. Generally celebrated in the second week of November every year. It is a thanks giving ceremony to Misi Saljong, which is also known as Pattigipa Ra∙rongipa (The Great Giver) for blessing the people with rich harvest of the season.
10. World Pneumonia Day observed with the theme Every Breath Counts: Stop Pneumonia Now
World Pneumonia Day was observed on 12 November 2015 across the world with the theme Every Breath Counts: Stop Pneumonia Now.
To mark the occasion, special programmes were held to raise awareness of pneumonia, promote prevention and treatment and generate action to fight the illness.
Further, a special Pneumonia Innovations Summit was organized by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in New York to discuss the strategies to deal with it.
11. Tata Steel gets green nod for sand mining in West Bengal
Tata Steel has received green clearance for mining of mineral sand, used in coal production, from the riverbed of Gowai in Purulia District, West Bengal with a proposed production capacity of 0.2 million tonnes (MT) per annum.
The company said it requires three million tonnes (MT) of sand annually for its coal production of 1.91 MT from five coal mines in Jharia coalfields. The sand dunes of Gowai river will significantly meet its requirement for stowing and stabilisation of the mines.
The Environment Ministry has given environment clearance to the Tata Steel’s proposal for mining of mineral sand with proposed production capacity of 0.2 million tonnes per annum in the mine lease area of 44.10 hectare in Purulia district.
Tata Steel, set up in 1907, has steel plant at Jamshedpur, Jharkhand. In order to compensate the requirement of raw coal for steel making, the company operates number of mines and collieries in the States of Jharkhand and Odisha.
The Jharia Group of Collieries, which is in operation from 1910, partially meets the requirement of coking coal for Tata Steel Jamshedpur Works.